Dr. Pyykkonen received his Masters and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology and did his post-doctoral fellowship at Rush University Medical Center. He received his B.A. from Wheaton College.

In addition to remaining in clinical practice, he has also maintained an active academic career. He is currently the director of the doctoral clinical psychology program at Wheaton College. He is actively engaged in academic research examining the cognitive and emotional factors related to a number of clinical conditions, which enhances the effectiveness of his clinical work. These include: dementia, hydrocaphalus, depression, neurodevelopmental genetic disorders, HIV, and compulsive sexuality.